Fuerteventura Todo
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April 3, 2026

Storm damage at Pozo Negro: Antigua seeks Coast Guard approval for repairs

This is a new episode in which different administrations clash when it comes to acting on public domain lands, without having resolved the management of these coastal spaces.

The Antigua City Council has asked the Directorate General of Coastlines for urgent authorization to repair the damage caused by the Therese storm in Pozo Negro, where the sea storm opened a series of sinkholes in front of the houses of this historic beachfront settlement.

According to the council’s press release, the defects pose a risk to residents and to the many families that frequent the area. Photographs released by the municipality show the damage in an area that belongs to the maritime‑terrestrial public domain.

“We cannot intervene directly without authorization from the Coast Authority,” said Mayor Matías Peña, recalling that the local council was previously reported by the Directorate General of Coastlines after carrying out similar emergency repairs about a year ago.

The council notes that it has now reiterated the request so it can act again on the affected zone. The request has also been forwarded to the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, linking Pozo Negro with other coastal settlements that suffered damage during the latest storm.

Antigua’s appeal comes after a rapid succession of weather events: the storm was followed by a strong dust episode (calima) in recent days, and by Easter the trade winds (Alisio) were dominant, leaving stable and sunny conditions.

In its statement, the City Council stresses that, as soon as it receives authorization from the Coast Authority, it will act “with urgency,” using municipal resources and funding to carry out the necessary repairs. This response is expected to address complaints from Antigua residents who usually spend their holidays in Pozo Negro and arrived to find the damage.

The previous sanction from the Coast Authority, mentioned by the council, and the fact that this settlement—like many other coastal villages across Fuerteventura and the Canary Islands—has developed along the shoreline often without proper administrative control, have been a persistent source of conflict between administrations and local residents for decades.

The Government of the Canary Islands, having assumed a series of coastline competencies that were historically managed by the State, has announced measures to regularize the management of this and other similar coastal settlements, although no significant progress has been made yet.

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